Teenager: I saw my father die after hoodies stoned us while we played cricket

Thursday 2 August 2007 12:07 BST

A grieving son gave a heartbreaking account yesterday of the moment his father died under a hail of stones thrown by yobs.

James Norton, 19, told a court the gang attacked as he and his father Ernest were playing an impromptu game of cricket in the grounds of a leisure centre.

He heard a "thud" and looked round to see his father lying in a pool of blood from a head wound.

As the gang retreated into woods, still throwing missiles and shouting taunts, the teenager ran to the leisure centre for help.

But attempts to save Mr Norton failed.

The 67-year-old father of two, who had a triple heart bypass operation in 1977 but was described as fit and healthy, had died from a heart attack alleged to have been brought on by the stress of the assault on him.

Five boys - one of whom was just ten at the time of the attack in February last year - are on trial at the Old Bailey accused of the manslaughter of Mr Norton, a retired engineering draughtsman.

None of the youths, now between 12 and 14, can be named for legal reasons.

James, a student, said he and his parents had gone to the Erith Leisure Centre in Kent on a "normal Sunday".

His mother Linda went to the gym and he and his father began playing cricket in the tennis court area. They had been playing for about half an hour when they were approached by the gang.

James said: "I noticed some noise and turned round to see the kids throwing things at the leisure centre building. We just carried on, trying to ignore them but they walked further on towards us.

"I carried on bowling and one of them shouted 'You're the worst bowler ever'.

"They were saying 'Get a hair cut' and to my dad, 'Get back to the old people's home'. They were laughing and shouting insults.

"I was trying to ignore them and hoped they would move on. My father told them to "p*** off" to try to get rid of them.

"There were about 15 to 20 children in total but five or six of them started throwing stones.

"They started picking up stones and pieces of wood and trying to lob them over the fence. They were scattered everywhere.

"Two of them started to climb up the corner post [of the tennis courts]. One of them did make it to the top and he was using an overhead throw.

"I was worried what could happen - it seemed like we were trapped."

James had his back turned to his father when Mr Norton fell.

He said: "I heard a loud noise behind me. It was just a thud. I turned round and saw my dad collapsed. I could see blood coming from his left temple and he was lying flat on his back.

"He was unconscious and bleeding quite heavily. I opened the gate and ran to the leisure centre as quickly as possible."

An off-duty policeman, who was at the centre with his young son, ran out and started mouth-tomouth resuscitation and chest compressions on Mr Norton until paramedics arrived.

Mrs Norton, 56, also rushed from the centre when she heard what had happened.

But Mr Norton, who lived in Erith and also had a 25-year-old daughter, could not be saved.

The court heard he had been hit by at least two missiles, one of which fractured his left cheekbone.

Asked if he could understand why the children had started throwing stones, James replied: "No. It just seemed they wanted to pick on someone."

He said most of them were wearing "hoodies", so he could not see their faces.

The five boys, who are each accompanied by a parent in the dock, deny manslaughter and violent disorder. The trial continues.